Teen Programs & Events Teen Book Sites Teen College Bound Links Dear Reader Book Club Homework Help Learning Express Job Seeking Tips & Advice Local Middle & High Schools Teen Reading Lists: GPL Recommended Edgemont Schools Woodlands Schools Maria Regina High School Sacred Heart School Solomon Schechter

Teen Reading Lists

Teenburgh Recommended Reading

Grades 7-8

1. Before We Were Free, by Julia Alvarez — In the early 1960s in the Dominican Republic, twelve-year-old Anita learns that her family is involved in the movement to end the rule of dictator Trujillo. YA Fic Alvarez
2. All-American Girl, by Meg Cabot — In this funny story, a sixteen-year-old girl saves the life of the President of the United States. YA Fic Cabot
3. The Princess Diaries, by Meg Cabot — An introverted, socially conscious New York teenager learns that she is a princess of a small European country. Sequels: —Princess in the Spotlight; Princess in Love; Princess in Waiting; Project Princess. YA Fic Cabot
4. Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer — A twelve-year-old evil genius tries to restore his family fortune by capturing a fairy and demanding a ransom in gold. Sequels: Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident; Artemis Fowl: The Eternity Code. YA Fic Colfer
5. Born Too Short: The Confessions of an Eighth-Grade Basket Case, by Dan Elish — Matt's jealousy makes him wish bad things would happen to his friend Keith, until they actually do. YA Fic Elish
6. The Ear, the Eye and the Arm, by Nancy Farmer — In 2194 in Zimbabwe, General Matsika's three children are kidnapped and three mutant detectives use their special powers to search for them. YA Fic Farmer
7. Oy, Joy! by Lucy Frank — In this innocent romance, Joy's Uncle Max plays matchmaker, and Joy gives him a taste of his own medicine. YA Fic Frank
8. Coraline, by Neil Gaiman — Coraline unlocks a door in her new house leading to another world and set of parents. Things look the same on the other side, but something is terribly wrong. YA Fic Gaiman
9. Witness, by Karen Hesse — A series of poems tells the different viewpoints of residents of a small Vermont town, including an African-American twelve-year-old and a Jewish six-year-old, when the Ku Klux Klan arrives. YA Fic Hesse
10. Auschwitz, by Clive A. Lawton — This is the story of a Nazi concentration camp in which Jews were killed during World War II. YA 940.531 L
11. The Two Princesses of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine — A timid princess must learn bravery to search for a cure when her adventurous sister becomes ill with the “gray death.” YA Fic Levine
12. A Corner of the Universe, by Ann Martin — Twelve-year-old Hattie's mentally ill or autistic Uncle Adam and a carnival stir up her orderly life in her family's boarding house. YA Fic Martin
13. Bad Boy: A Memoir, by Walter Dean Myers — The author tells about his childhood and adolescence in Harlem. YA B Myers
14. The Greatest: Muhammad Ali, by Walter Dean Myers — This is the life story of a long-time heavyweight boxing champ. YA B Ali
15. The Other Side of Truth, by Beverly Naidoo — Nigerian refugees Sade and her younger brother are abandoned in London when their uncle fails to meet them at the airport. YA Fic Naidoo
16. Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging, by Louise Rennison — Enjoy the hilarious adventures of British teen Georgia Nichols. Sequels: On the Bright Side, I'm Now the Girlfriend of a Sex God; Knocked Out by My Nunga-Nungas; Dancing in My Nuddy-Pants. YA Fic Rennison
17. Lord of the Kill, by Theodore Taylor — While Ben's parents are in India, there is trouble with international organized crime at their big cat sanctuary. YA Fic Taylor
18. The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner — This adventure takes master thief Gen to a remote temple of the gods where he must attempt to steal a precious stone. Sequel: The Queen of Attolia. YA Fic Turner
19. Flight to Freedom, by Ana Veciana-Suarez — Yara and her family flee from Cuba to Miami at the start of the Castro regime in 1967. YA Fic Veciana-Suarez
20. Finding Hattie, by Sally Warner — In 1882, at a Tarrytown girls' school, Hattie is torn between her cousin's clique and a girl from the Wild West who the girls have chosen to exclude. J Fic Warner
21. Girl Coming in for a Landing, by April Halprin Wayland — This story of a girl's seventh grade experience is written in verse. YA Fic Wayland

Grades 8-9

1. Tangerine, by Edward Bloor — Soccer player Paul tries to remember why he's afraid of his football star older brother Eric while adjusting to a new home in Florida with weather like the Bermuda Triangle. YA Fic Bloor
2. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, by Ann Brashares — During their first summer apart, four teenage girls, best friends since earliest childhood, stay in touch through a shared pair of secondhand jeans that magically adapts to each of their figures and affects their attitudes toward their different summer experiences. Sequel: The Second Summer of Sisterhood. YA Fic Brashares
3. The True Prince, by J.B. Cheaney — Richard and Kit, apprenticed to Shakespeare's theater company, are drawn into a series of crimes involving the members of Queen Elizabeth's court. Sequel to: The Playmaker. YA Fic Cheaney
4. Getting Away with Murder: The True Story of the Emmett Till Case, by Chris Crowe — When a Mississippi court failed to convict the white murderers of a fourteen-year-old African-American in 1955, it helped spark the civil rights movement. YA 364.15 C
5. I Know What You Did Last Summer, by Lois Duncan — Four teenagers trying to conceal their responsibility for a fatal hit-and-run accident are pursued by a mystery figure seeking revenge. YA Fic Duncan
6. Stranger with my Face, by Lois Duncan — A seventeen-year-old senses she is being spied on and impersonated, but when she discovers the truth, it is more unbelievable than she ever imagined. YA Fic Duncan
7. Overboard, by Elizabeth Fama — After escaping from a sinking ferry in the waters off Sumatra, fourteen-year-old Emily fights for survival along with Indonesian boy who draws comfort from his Islamic faith. YA Fic Fama
8. Fight on! Mary Church Terrell's Battle for Integration, by Dennis Brindell Fradin and Judith Bloom Fradin — The first black Washington, D.C. Board of Education member helped found the NAACP and organized pickets and boycotts that led to the 1953 Supreme Court decision to integrate the area's restaurants. YA B Terrell
9. Teens on Trial: Young People Who Challenged the Law—and Changed Your Life, by Thomas A. Jacobs — Several legal cases concerning teens' rights are examined. YA 346 J
10. Dunk, by David Lubar — New Jersey Shore resident Chad becomes fascinated with the “Bozo” in the boardwalk dunk tank. YA Fic Lubar
11. Parrot in the Oven, by Victor Martinez — Manny comes of age in a poor, Mexican-American family. YA Fic Martinez
12. It Ain't All for Nothin', by Walter Dean Myers — An African-American youth must decide if he should reject his father's thieving way of life and risk losing him. YA Fic Myers
13. Somewhere in the Darkness, by Walter Dean Myers — Fourteen-year-old Harlem resident Jimmy's long lost father suddenly shows up and takes him on a trip halfway across the country. YA Fic Myers
14. Carver: A Life in Poems, by Marilyn Nelson — This biography of renowned agricultural researcher George Washington Carver is written in verse. YA 811 N
15. Finding Our Way, by Rene Saldaña — These short stories provide glimpses into the lives of several Mexican-American teens. YA Fic Saldaña
16. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, by Dyan Sheldon — In her new school, "Lola" sets her sights on the lead in the annual drama production, and finds herself in conflict with the most popular girl in school. Sequel: My Perfect Life. YA Fic Sheldon
17. The Gospel According to Larry, by Janet Tashjian — Teen genius Josh creates a computer alter ego to spread his antimaterialistic ideas. Things spiral out of control when a rock star brings it national attention. YA Fic Tashjian
18. Stuck in Neutral, by Terry Trueman — A boy in a coma is aware of his surroundings, but no one can tell. YA Fic Trueman
19. Memory Boy, by Will Weaver — In 2008, Minneapolis is covered in volcanic ash. Miles must save the lives of his family members. YA Fic Weaver
20. I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This, by Jacqueline Woodson — Marie, the only African-American girl in the eighth grade willing to befriend her white classmate Lena, discovers that Lena's father is doing horrible things to her in private. YA Fic Woodson

Grades 9-10

1. City of the Beasts, by Isabel Allende — When fifteen-year-old Alexander accompanies his grandmother on an expedition to find a legendary humanoid beast in the Amazon, he experiences ancient wonders and a supernatural world as he tries to avert disaster for the Indians. YA Fic Allende
2. Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo A. Anaya — Six-year-old Antonio embarks upon a spiritual journey under the guidance of a healing woman that leads him to question his faith and beliefs. YA Fic Anaya
3. Feed, by M.T. Anderson — On a Spring Break trip to Mars, Titus meets a rarity—a young woman who has not always had the Internet wired directly into her brain. This book is a wonderful satire of our commercialized society and frightening prediction of its possible future. YA Fic Anderson
4. Hanging on to Max, by Margaret Bechard — When his girlfriend decides to give their baby away, seventeen-year-old Sam is determined to keep him and raise him alone. YA Fic Bechard
5. Teen Power Politics: Make Yourself Heard, by Sara Jane Boyers — The author enthusiastically lists ways in which teens can get involved in politics and can work to affect change. YA 323.04 B
6. Who Will Tell My Brother? by Marlene Carvell — In this novel in verse, a Native American teenager crusades to remove offensive mascots from his high school. YA Fic Carvell
7. Truth or Dairy, by Catherine Clark — After Dave breaks up with high school senior and would-be vegetarian Courtney, her life just gets weirder and weirder. Sequel: Wurst Case Scenario. YA Fic Clark
8. Ironman, by Chris Crutcher — Triathlete Bo gets sent to anger management class after calling his English teacher a name. There, he learns to deal with his father. YA Fic Crutcher
9. Whale Talk, by Chris Crutcher — T. J. forms a swim team from misfits to fight his school's jock culture. YA Fic Crutcher
10. Keeping the Moon, by Sarah Dessen — When outcast Colie's famous mother tours Europe, she stays at her eccentric aunt's place, where new friends help her gain a sense of self. YA Fic Dessen
11. Romiette and Julio, by Sharon Draper — A Latino and an African-American young woman are harassed by gang members who object to their interracial dating. YA Fic Draper
12. House of the Scorpion, by Nancy Farmer — In a world where humans hate clones, Matt enjoys the special status as clone of drug lord El Patron. YA Fic Farmer
13. A Hole in My Life, by Jack Gantos — The author of the “Joey Pigza” books explains how he ended up in prison and how he turned his life around. Y A B Gantos
14. Stoner and Spaz, by Ron Koertge — A troubled youth with cerebral palsy struggles toward self-acceptance with the help of a drug-addicted young woman he tries to assist. YA Fic Koertge
15. Son of the Mob, by Gordon Korman — Seventeen-year-old Vince is the son of a powerful Mafia boss. This complicates his romance with the daughter of an FBI agent. YA Fic Gordon
16. Crystal, by Walter Dean Myers — A fifteen-year-old finds her modeling career overwhelming. YA Fic Myers
17. Monster, by Walter Dean Myers — Steve, an African-American young man accused of assisting in a murder, writes about his trial in the form of a screenplay. YA Fic Myers
18. A Child Called “It,” by Dave Pelzer — The author recalls his severe childhood abuse. Sequels: The Lost Boy; A Man Named Dave. YA 362.76 P
19. Lucy the Giant, by Sherri L. Smith — After a stray dog she befriends dies, Lucy runs away from her abusive father. Passing for an adult because of her height, she finds work on a fishing boat. YA Fic Smith
20. Give a Boy a Gun, by Todd Strasser — After an incident similar to the Columbine school shooting, a reporter tries to figure out why it happened. YA Fic Strasser
21. Deep, by Susanna Vance — The lives of a sheltered thirteen-year-old and a seventeen-year-old who was raised on a small boat are brought together when the two young women are held captive by the same maniac. YA Fic Vance
22. After the Darkness, by Elie Wiesel — A Holocaust survivor reflects on his experience in this wonderfully illustrated work. YA 940.53 W
23. Stephen Fair, by Tim Wynne-Jones — Fifteen-year-old Stephen has recurring nightmares like the ones that drove his older brother away from home. YA Fic Wynne-Jones

Grades 10-11

1. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson — After being raped at a party, Melinda dials 911, but is afraid to speak when help arrives. Afterwards, she is shunned for having called police attention to the party, and still lacks the strength to speak up for herself. YA Fic Anderson
2. A Little Piece of Sky, by Nicole Bailey-Williams — Song leaves the inner city to live with her father and his wife after her mother is murdered. This book's writing style is similar to that of Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street. YA Fic Bailey-Williams
3. This Lullaby, by Sarah Dessen — Raised by a mother who's had five husbands, eighteen-year-old Remy believes in short-term, no-commitment relationships until she meets Dexter, a rock band musician. YA Fic Dessen
4. Breathing Underwater, by Alex Flynn — A judge orders Nick to receive counseling and keep a journal after he hits his girlfriend. Nick examines the relationship and why he behaved as he did. YA Fic Flynn
5. The Lottery, by Beth Goobie — A group called the Shadow Council makes students perform humiliating pranks. Each year, they choose a messenger, who becomes an automatic outcast, by lottery. YA Fic Goobie
6. Breaking Boxes, by A.M. Jenkins — The fact that his gay older brother is raising him drives a wedge into loner Charlie's only friendship. YA Fic Jenkins
7. The Raging Quiet, by Sherryl Jordan — In ancient times, residents of sixteen-year-old Marnie's village accuse her of witchcraft when she discovers that the village madman is not crazy but deaf. YA Fic Jordan
8. Home of the Braves, by David Klass — A hotshot soccer player from Brazil shows up and threatens to take over team captain Joe's position and would-be girlfriend. YA Fic Klass
9. You Don't Know Me, by David Klass — Join John on his roller coaster ride as a dream date turned nightmare and his abusive soon-to-be stepfather turn the best day of his life into the worst night of his life. YA Fic Klass
10. In the Company of Men, by Nancy Mace — The first female graduate of The Citadel tells her story. YA B Mace
11. Winter, by John Marsden — Sixteen-year-old Winter faces her family's tragic past in order to move ahead with her own future. YA Fic Marsden
12. Harvard Shmarvard: Getting Beyond the Ivy League to the College that is Best for You, by Jay Mathews — The author explains why great success is possible without an Ivy League education and gives excellent advice on choosing a college. YA 378.161 M
13. Water: Tales of Elemental Spirits, by Robin McKinley and Peter Dickinson — Several enchanting short fantasy stories are linked by an aquatic theme. YA Fic Water
14. Zipped, by Laura McNeal and Tom McNeal — As Mick tries to handle the news that his stepmother is having an affair, he finds his life intertwined with those of a beauty queen, a girl with a crush on a Mormon elder, a womanizing burglar, and a lecherous English teacher. YA Fic McNeal
15. Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers — Seventeen-year-old Richie, just out of his Harlem high school, enlists in the Army in the summer of 1967 and spends a devastating year on active duty in Vietnam. YA Fic Myers
16. Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility, by Patricia Santana — Growing up in her large Mexican-American family in the late 1960s, fourteen-year-old Yolanda tries to help her favorite brother Chuy, who has returned from the war in Vietnam, and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. YA Fic Santana
17. When I Was Puerto Rican, by Esmeralda Santiago — The author recounts her childhood in rural Puerto Rico and her teenage years in New York City. B Santiago
18. The Killer's Cousin, by Nancy Werlin — After being acquitted of murder, seventeen-year-old David goes to stay with relatives, where he finds himself forced to face his past as he learns more about his disturbed young cousin Lily. YA Fic Werlin
19. When Kambia Elaine Flew in From Neptune, by Lori Aurelia Williams — Inner city resident Shayla aches over the disappearance of her older sister. She is also puzzled by the behavior of her new neighbor Kambia, who she eventually realizes needs help. Sequel: Shayla's Double: Brown Baby Blues. YA Fic Williams
20. Razzle, by Ellen Wittlinger — Photographer Kenyon's retired parents buy tourist cabins on Cape Cod and expect him to spend the summer doing repair work for them. His life changes when he befriends an eccentric girl, and her gorgeous, fickle enemy interferes with their relationship. YA Fic Wittlinger

Grades 11-12

1. Catalyst, by Laurie Halse Anderson — Kate applies only to her dream college, and no backups. While she awaits their reply, her father makes her share a room with a girl from school who she dislikes, whose house has burnt down. YA Fic Anderson
2. Islam: A Short History, by Karen Armstrong — The author tells the story of one of the world's major religions that is often vilified in the West. 297.09 A
3. Big Trouble, by Dave Barry — Criminals, assorted weirdoes, and a hungry alligator bring love and change into the lives of some nice Miami residents. Fic Barry
4. Summerland, by Michael Chabon — The worst baseball player in the history of the game is recruited to help a band of fairies triumph over an ancient enemy. YA Fic Chabon
5. Don't Know Much About the Universe: Everything You Need to Know About the Cosmos but Never Learned, by Kenneth C. Davis — Cosmology is explained for people without extensive mathematical or scientific backgrounds. 523.1 D
6. A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly — In 1906, sixteen-year-old Mattie, takes a job at a summer inn where she discovers the truth about the death of a guest. YA Fic Donnelly
7. Soul Searching: 13 Stories about Faith and Belief, edited by Lisa Rowe Fraustino — These short stories about teens focus on most major religions in addition to some lesser-known belief systems. YA Fic Soul
8. Born Confused, by Tanuja Desai Hidier — Dimple, born in New Jersey but with parents from India, feels too Indian for Americans and too American for Indian people. She spends the summer she turns 17 finding herself and resolving this situation. YA Fic Hidier
9. Another River, Another Town: A Teenage Tank Gunner Comes of Age in Combat 1945, by John P. Irwin — The author recalls his service in World War II. YA 940.54 I
10. The Lightkeeper's Daughter, by Iain Lawrence — When seventeen-year-old Squid returns to her childhood home on a remote lighthouse island with her young daughter, she and her parents try to come to terms with the painful events of the past, especially the death of her older brother. YA Fic Lawrence
11. Crow Lake, by Mary Lawson — After their parents are killed in a car accident, seven-year-old Kate and her younger sister are raised by their two older brothers. Fic Lawson
12. Chill Wind, by Janet McDonald — Afraid that she will have no where to go when her welfare checks are stopped, nineteen-year-old high school dropout Aisha tries to figure out how she can support herself and her two young children in New York City. Sequel to: Spellbound. Fic McDonald
13. Blind Sighted, by Peter Moore — Loner Kirk's social life looks up after he is demoted to an on-level English class and makes some unlikely friends. Then, his mother brings devastating news. YA Fic Moore
14. Way Past Cool, by Jess Mowry — Gordon leads an inner-city Oakland gang in a turf fight with its rivals. YA Fic Mowry
15. Yell-Oh Girls! Emerging Voices Explore Culture, Identity, and Growing Up Asian American, edited by Vicki Nam — This anthology includes stories, essays, poems and letters. YA 305.235 Y
16. 19 Varieties of Gazelle, by Naomi Shihab Nye —Poems describe the lives of Palestinians in the Middle East and the United States. YA 811.54 N
17. Imani All Mine, by Connie Rose Porter —Fifteen-year-old Tasha narrates a tale of teenage motherhood in inner-city Buffalo, N.Y. YA Fic Porter
18. How to Be a Chicana Role Model, by Michele Serros — Each chapter tells a funny incident in the life of a twenty-something Mexican-American woman who cannot speak Spanish and wants to be a writer. YA Fic Serros
19. Maus, by Art Spiegelman — In graphic novel form, the author relates his father's survival of the Holocaust, and his current troubles with his father. This is the only graphic novel to win a Pulitzer Prize. YA Fic Spiegelman
20. Playing Without the Ball, by Rich Wallace — High school senior and basketball player Jay lives alone and works part-time to pay the rent after both parents leave him. YA Fic Wallace
21. Black Mirror, by Nancy Werlin —Convinced her brother's death was murder rather than suicide, sixteen-year-old Frances begins her own investigation into suspicious student activities at her boarding school. YA Fic Werlin
22. Locked Inside, by Nancy Werlin — When kidnapped from the exclusive boarding school she attends, heiress Marnie must rethink her idealized relationship with her famous mother, her own sense of who she is, and her relationships with others. YA Fic Werlin